a showcase of culture as expressed through the pen of the storyteller and the voice of the poet.
Our Mission
To showcase, promote, encourage and build a bridge to facilitate opportunities for Caribbean writers and the Caribbean storytelling tradition within the North American diaspora with a view of elevating the Caribbean literary canon’s prestige to the highest possible industry standards.
Our Vision
To see Caribbean literature seated at the table of the creative writing industry as an equal player, sharing equitably from its resources and being credited as the creative source and owner of the stories and culture of its people.
Our Goals
To increase the visibility of the classic and contemporary works of the Caribbean writer within the Brooklyn community and the Caribbean diaspora
To build a platform for community ownership of the oral and written stories of Caribbean people where they are encouraged and empowered to weave their stories
To take Caribbean stories into the future by utilising the latest technology-driven platforms to ensure reach, engagement and posterity
To kindle children's interests in the folktales of the Caribbean, foster pride in those of its ancestry, and develop curiosity and a sense of ancestral kinship with its stories and culture
To positively shape the global understanding of Caribbean culture and intellectualism as a beacon of diversity through the promotion of its literary works
To lessen the divide between the literature of the 4 major language groups in the Caribbean (English, French, Spanish, Dutch) and create a homogeneous appreciation for its works among all people
The BCLF is a literary nonprofit 501(c)(3) that blazes a trail for Caribbean stories and its writers across the Diaspora. We highlight Caribbean literature and the region’s history of storytelling to the United States first, then extend that celebration to wider global audiences. It is a showcase of culture as expressed through the pen of the storyteller and the voice of the poet.
Founded in 2019, the organisation is optimally based in the gateway to the Caribbean Diaspora, Brooklyn --New York, more specifically-- within the epicenter of the Caribbean community in the locale dubbed, ‘Little Caribbean’. Annually, hundreds of people pour into Brooklyn for the BCLF to attend our public events, while our year-long approach to programming ensures that we meet the needs of writers of Caribbean heritage in tangible and impactful ways.
Caribbean people and their descendants have long contributed to the development of New York and the BCLF honours the legacies of their stories and knowledge that have survived time, loss, erasure, migration and the ones that find expression in the fresh soil of the Caribbean Diaspora where its people have settled. By dint of its origin story, the Caribbean is an inclusive, multi-ethnic, plural community, and a positive emblem for diversity, easily decoded and deeply relevant to a highly diverse society like New York.
The Caribbean collective is a case study for belonging and offers a safe space for all people regardless of identity. BCLF proudly ascribes to a geographic definition of Caribbean that includes all countries whose borders are washed by the Caribbean sea, making our creative catchment area one that mirrors the movement and exchange of indigenous people prior to the Colombian encounter, in an act of historical and political rejection.
While the Caribbean community comprises about 25% of the Brooklyn population and has for generations made a positive impact on the social, political, economic and cultural economies of New York, there is a severe shortfall in the access to lucrative opportunities for its creatives, that unfortunately do not accurately represent distribution across the entire creative sector.
The BCLF works to promote Caribbean-American talent, polish their craft, create opportunities and negotiate, through network and partnerships, high visibility opportunities in ways that are both authentic to the Caribbean cosmology and of the highest possible industry standards.
The diaspora arm of the BCLF’s Short Fiction Story Contest helps launch important new voices in North America while the regional prize platforms established writers in front of global audiences.
Our Cocoa Pod Podcast plays to the lyricality and meter of the Caribbean accent for its listeners all the while harnessing the power of technology and the digital age to create lasting archives of Caribbean orality and bridge the divide between worlds, generations, memory, the past, present and future.
TEAM BCLF
Marsha Massiah
Founder/Executive Director
Marsha's love affair with stories began as she clung to the hemline of her grandmother's skirt, the eager, young, wide-eyed receiving vessel for generations of her families' stories. Unbeknownst to her family and herself, her purpose as a repository for Caribbean anthologies was being fashioned. Much later in adulthood and after two decades in education and event management as a hobby, Marsha migrated her passions to its happy place: the intersection of Caribbean stories, culture and history.
The BCLF was born out of her fiery devotion to her heritage and the need to promote the islands to which she is eternally indebted. Yearly, she mirrors Explainer’s Lorraine and leaves NY and her career as an instructional designer in healthcare behind. She dons wings and flies south to play ah Mas in the Greatest Festival on Earth - although she despises drinking rum. She is a proud honors graduate of the University of the West Indies, lists a 3-day stint in a roti shop among her wealth of work experience, and is obsessed with proving that one can indeed, with exercise, outwork a steady diet of cake and pone.
Mellany Paynter
Founding Partner/Director of Operations
Mellany is a Creative Entrepreneur and Managing Editor with a unique blend of writing prowess and project management expertise. She is a keen wellness advocate and believes we can heal ourselves. A distinguished alumna of Howard University's Civil Engineering program, she now channels her talents into guiding and executing creative projects for individuals and companies.
As our Director of Operations, she plays a pivotal role in overseeing the festival’s logistics, ensuring that each event runs smoothly and successfully. She is the passionate force behind each project’s vision, seamlessly contributing to personal and professional endeavors.
Her additional skills include web design, marketing collateral creation, and transforming social projects into vibrant realities. With a deep commitment to excellence, Mellany is ready to help you turn your vision into remarkable success.
Maurisa Massiah
Board Member
With a robust history in the New York Air and Army National Guard, Maurisa has consistently demonstrated excellence in high-stakes environments, including NYC Domestic Relief missions and Operation Enduring Freedom. Her experiences have solidified her reputation for accountability, reliability, and strong leadership.
She thrives in diverse corporate structures, leveraging data to drive results while committed to continuous improvement and personal growth.
Her key competencies include Leadership Development, Program Management, Project Management, Military Expertise, and Data Analytics
Robert Louis DeRoux
Social Media Coordinator
Robert is a Master’s candidate in the Humanities and Social Thought program at New York University, with a vested interest in the promotion of and scholarship on the Greater Caribbean region and wider Atlantic World. He graduated from St. John’s University Cum Laude with a B.Sc. in Biology and has since transferred his research skills from Microbiology to the evaluation of British and French Colonial entanglements in the 18th century.
His current research project Glimpsing Jamaïque examines the ephemeral society of refugee St. Dominguan Creoles in Kingston, foregrounding the city as a colonial crossroads and a site of conflict and convergence between French and British societal structures.
Born and raised in Jamaica, his devotion to Caribbean literary movements drives his continued involvement in the festival, and supports through content creation, brand focus and outreach.
Support BCLF HERE
Help us write a new chapter in Caribbean history with The Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival! All funds collected as part of this campaign will be used to bring writers to Brooklyn, NY and promote the Caribbean literary community. Your contribution is greatly appreciated!